Demuth was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on November 9, 1883. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth) He studied at Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and while he was a student there, he met William Carlos Williams at his boarding house. The two became fast friends and remained close for the remainder of their lives.
Charles later continued to study at the Academie Colarossi and Academie Julian in Paris , where he became a part of the avant garde art scene. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth) The Parisian artistic community was accepting of Demuth's homosexuality , which is one of the primary reasons why he remained in this community for as long as he did.
Career
While in Paris, he became acquainted with Marsden Hartely by walking up to a table of American artists and asking if he could join them. Charles was known for his great sense of humor, and was rich in double entendres and they asked him to be a regular member of their group. Through Hartley he met Alfred Stieglitz and became a member of the Stieglitz group. In 1926, he had a one-man show at the Anderson Galleries and Intimate Gallery the New York gallery. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth)
His most famous painting, The Figure 5 in Gold was inspired by his friend William Carlos Williams' poem The Great Figure. This is one of nine poster portraits Demuth created to honor his creative friends. He painted poster portraits for many of his famous friends, from artists to writers.
According to the exhibit notes from the 2007 Amon Carter Museum retrospective of his late Lancaster paintings, Demuth's will left many of his paintings to his friend Georgia O'Keeffe. Her strategic decisions regarding which museums received these works cemented his reputation as a major painter of the Precisionist school.
Personal Life
Charles Demuth suffered either an injury when he was four years old or may have had polio or tuberculosis of the hip that left him with a marked limp and required him to use a cane for the majority of his life. In his later years, he developed diabetes and was one of the first people in the United States to receive insulin as treatment for this disease. Most of his life was spent frail health, and he died in Lancaster at the age of 51 due to complications from his diabetes on October 23, 1935. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth)
Charles Demuth: American Precisionist Painter
Background Information
Demuth was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on November 9, 1883. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth) He studied at Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and while he was a student there, he met William Carlos Williams at his boarding house. The two became fast friends and remained close for the remainder of their lives.
Charles later continued to study at the Academie Colarossi and Academie Julian in Paris , where he became a part of the avant garde art scene. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth) The Parisian artistic community was accepting of Demuth's homosexuality , which is one of the primary reasons why he remained in this community for as long as he did.
Career
While in Paris, he became acquainted with Marsden Hartely by walking up to a table of American artists and asking if he could join them. Charles was known for his great sense of humor, and was rich in double entendres and they asked him to be a regular member of their group. Through Hartley he met Alfred Stieglitz and became a member of the Stieglitz group. In 1926, he had a one-man show at the Anderson Galleries and Intimate Gallery the New York gallery. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth)
His most famous painting, The Figure 5 in Gold was inspired by his friend William Carlos Williams' poem The Great Figure. This is one of nine poster portraits Demuth created to honor his creative friends. He painted poster portraits for many of his famous friends, from artists to writers.
According to the exhibit notes from the 2007 Amon Carter Museum retrospective of his late Lancaster paintings, Demuth's will left many of his paintings to his friend Georgia O'Keeffe. Her strategic decisions regarding which museums received these works cemented his reputation as a major painter of the Precisionist school.
Personal Life
Charles Demuth suffered either an injury when he was four years old or may have had polio or tuberculosis of the hip that left him with a marked limp and required him to use a cane for the majority of his life. In his later years, he developed diabetes and was one of the first people in the United States to receive insulin as treatment for this disease. Most of his life was spent frail health, and he died in Lancaster at the age of 51 due to complications from his diabetes on October 23, 1935. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth)
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Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth
http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/~aoki/Teaching/objet_a/urine/Demuth/demuth.gif